For almost three years, Kate Appel has been making her carbonated fruit sodas, available at the Downtown Farmers Market and Lúpulo Craft Beer House. She uses just three main ingredients—fruit juices, natural sweeteners and herbs and spices—in a variety of medleys. A bottle at the market is $8, including $5 for the bottle, which is refillable.

GT: How did you get the name 3 of a Kind?

Kate Appel: It’s a nod to my triplets, three boys. Normally my kids were drinking regular soda, so I started to make soda with fruit juice. We started making it with apple juice. I like to mix it up, so I mixed apple and limeade together and started to carbonate it: ‘Oh wow, this is really good!’ Then we started to add some spice. I like ginger, so we added some ginger.

What are some favorite spices?

I’m Thai, so I use a lot of lemongrass. I use a lot of ginger. But there’s a lot of stuff I never used before. I just experimented. Our most popular flavor is strawberry basil.

The strawberry jalapeño’s surprisingly good.

That’s very popular too. It’s a fun, exciting flavor. Everyone always asks, ‘Is it spicy?’ No, it’s just a good kick. It’s supposed to be drinkable.

What’s the best drink for summer?

Thai summer tea is really light, and it’s refreshing. Thai summer tea’s always on tap—just different infusions. Right now we have Thai summer chrysanthemum. I do have Thai summer with lemongrass.

What’s your five-year plan?

We’re about to launch Indiegogo, so we can have bottling equipment, because a lot of people ask if I sell it anywhere else. I would like to have a bottling prep man because the drink will last a lot longer. It’s lightly carbonated. I have a spring top. You can open it, but in a day or two it will be flat. With the proper bottling equipment, it will keep it longer, and I can have it at the local stores or restaurants that would like to have something unique.

Health Screening

Leo Sun; Full Moon, Venus Retro in Leo; Saturn Direct

It’s a complex week of planetary movements, challenges, demands and callings. We’re in the time of the Leo Sun. Leo—fixed fire, gold, the heart, generous, strong, noble, the king/queen—needs appreciation and praise from everyone in order to move forward. During Leo we gain a greater sense of self-identification by recognizing our creativity. It’s therefore a perfect time for Venus retrograding in Leo. In Venus retrograde we review and re-assess values. Venus retro in Leo concerns our self as valuable, acknowledging talents, gifts, abilities and offerings. Friday, Venus re-enters Leo (29 degrees, a critical degree) continuing the retrograde to 14 degrees Leo on Sept. 6.
Friday (Full Moon) is also the (8 degrees) Leo solar festival, Festival of the Future. Leo is the heart of the sun, the heart of all that matters. When attuned to this heart, we have understanding and inclusivity. The heart of the Lion is Mitra (think “Maitreya,” the coming World Teacher). Leo prepares humanity to receive divine love from subtle sources and later to radiate that love to the kingdoms. Sirius, Ray 2, where love originates, streams through Regulus (heart of Leo), into the heart of the sun (Ray 2) and into all hearts. The heart of Leo is Regulus. Joining Venus, the love underlying all of creation appears.
Saturday is Sun/Neptune (confusion or devotion) with late night Saturn turning stationary direct. Ideas, plans and structures held long in abeyance (since March 14) slowly move forward. (Read more on Leo and the week at nightlightnews.org and Risa D’Angeles’ Facebook page, accessed through my website.)

The New Tech Nexus

Community leaders in science and technology unite to form web-based networking program

Holy Cannoli

Is Santa Cruz turning into Malibu North?

It's got a ways to go before it gets wrecked like Malibu, but I think we need to be very careful about growth.
Maria Mattioli, Santa Cruz, Psychotherapist

Bargetto Winery

A much-anticipated annual event at Bargetto Winery is the release of their very special La Vita red wine. June 7 was the day to be heralded this year, and I happily squeezed my car into their overloaded car park in eager anticipation of tasting the new La Vita nectar.